Container and two-piece closure therefor



March 7, 1967 w. F. ELSER 3,307,728

CONTAINER AND TWO-PIECE CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed May 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. WILLIAM E ELSER BY ATTORNEYS.

W. F. ELSER March 7, 1967 CONTAINER AND TWO-PIECE CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed May 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM F ELSER ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,307,728 CONTAINER AND TWO-PIECE CLOSURE THEREFOR William F. Elser, Toledo, Ohio, assiguor to Owens- Illinois Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed May 28, 1965, Ser. No. 459,665 9 Claims. (Cl. 215-97) This invention relates to closures, and more particularly to an improved threaded closure for hermetically sealing a glass container of the type commonly employed to package processed foods.

In the packaging of processed foods in glass containers, it is common practice to fill the containers while the food is in the heated condition, leaving a head space into which steam is introduced to replace any air in the container. The container is then immediately closed and hermetically sealed by a closure containing a gasket which engages a sealing surface on the container. Subsequent cooling of the food and the container forms an effective vacuum in the container which acts on the closure to normally maintain the seal.

The filling and the closing operations are normally accomplished by high speed automatic machinery and are accompanied by a certain amount of unavoidable spillage. This spillage produces a number of undesirable conditions, among which is the unsightly appearance of spilled product, particularly when it deteriorates on the finish of the container. In addition, the spilled product can result in extremely high removal torques for threaded closures, and it is a primary cause of insect infestation. This problem is a particularly difficult one in instances where screw type closures are desirable to permit effective rescaling of the container as, for example, in the packaging of ketchup or baby foods.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved hermetically sealed package for processed foods.

Another object is to provide a screw type closure for a glass container which permits cleaning of spilled product from the threaded finish of the container after the container has been sealed.

Another object is to provide an improved two-piece screw-type closure which may be repeatedly reused to seal a container.

Another object is ,to provide an improved two-piece screw-type closure in which the separate elements may be initially installed on a container individually and subsequently removed and replaced as a single unit.

In the attainment of the foregoing and other objects an important feature of the invention resides in constructing the container closure as a two-piece unit including a retaining and lifting ring and a generally disc-shaped lid containing a sealing gasket. The lid and the ring are adapted to be installed on the container separately, and subsequently removed as a unit, with the ring being employed to lift the lid to release the vacuum in the container as the ring is unscrewed from the threaded finish of the container. This is accomplished by forming the ring from a suitable material to permit roll forming onto the threaded finish of the container after the lid has been installed.

Since the lid and the retaining and lifting ring may be installed on the container separately, the lid may be employed to form an initial seal, leaving the threaded finish on the container exposed to permit Washing to remove any spilled product. After the cleaning operation, the retaining and lifting ring may be roll formed onto the threaded finish of the container and into assembled relation with the lid to prevent the lid and ring from subsequently being separated.

3,307,728 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevation view, partially in section, showing an improved closure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lid portion of the closure;'

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation view, in section, showing the retaining andlifting ring of the closure prior to installation upon a container;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation view, in section, illustrating the retaining and lifting ring being roll formed onto the container;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating an alternate construction of the retaining and lifting ring;

FIG. 6 is a view similar toFIG. 7 illustrating a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation view, in section, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 illustrating the closure being removed from a container.

Referring now to the drawings, the neck portion of a glass container is illustrated generally by the numeral 1, and is shown having a finish portion 2 formed on its outer periphery. The finish portion 2 of the neck 1 includes a sealing surface 3 adjacent the open end 4, an external screw thread 5, and an annular bead 6 spaced below threads 5 and terminating in a shoulder portion 7.

The closure, illustrated generally by the numeral 8, includes a lid 9 and a retaining and lifting ring 10. Lid 9 includes a generally disc shaped end panel 11 having a downwardly depending annular skirt 12 integrally formed around its periphery with skirt 12 terminating in an inwardly roiled bead 13. A resilient sealing gasket 15 is mounted within lid 9 around skirt 12 between panel 11 and bead 13, with the upwardly directed terminal end 14 of the bead preferably engaging and embedded within the gasket 15 to positively retain the gasket within the lid. If desired, the disc shaped end panel 11 may be provided with a conventional flip panel 16, as illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings, to indicate the loss of the vacuum condition within the container to thereby indicate when the seal has been broken.

The retaining and lifting ring 10 is a generally cylindrical shaped member having a diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of lid 9 and of the finish portion 2 of the neck 1. Ring 10 terminates at one end in an inwardly directed flange 19 adapted to overlie and engage a portion of the surface of lid 9 adjacent the periphery thereof to positively retain the lid on the container with the sealing gasket 15 in engagement with sealing surface 3. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, ring 10 has a slightly frusto conical portion 20 adjacent its upper end, tapering downwardly and outwardly from a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the lid 9 adjacent flange 19. An inwardly directed annular bead 21 is formed around ring 10 at a point spaced from flange 19 a distance slightly greater than the length of skirt 12, with the internal diameter of bead 21 being slightly less than the diameter of skirt 12 to provide an interference fit therebetween when ring 10 is telescoped over lid 9 to position flange 19 in engagement with the peripheral surface of end panel 11. as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The retaining and lifting ring 10 is formed from a material suitable for roll forming onto the threaded finish of the container neck 1 and may be provided adjacent its lower edge with a frangible pilfer-proof ring 23 having a flange 24 roll formed thereon in underlying engagement with shoulder 7 of bead 6. An annular row of serrations 25 provide a weakened portion between the pilfer-proof ring 23 and the retaining and lifting ring 10 so that rotation in a direction to unscrew the ring from the threaded finish will cause the pilfer-proof ring 23 to be separated from the retaining ring 10 as a result of flange 25 resting on shoulder 7 to prevent axial movement of the pilferproof ring. Alternatively, the bottom portion of the lifting and retaining ring 10 may terminate in a straight skirt portion 29 overlying and closely engaging the outer periphery of the bead 6 as illustrated in FIG. 6 or, if desired, the bottom portion may be rolled into a bead 28, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

During the roll forming operation the frusto-conical portion 20 of the retaining and lifting ring 10 is shaped to closely conform to the outer surface of skirt 12, thereby causing bead 21 to project beneath bead 13 of the lid, to prevent subsequent separation of the lid from the lifting and retaining ring. Since head 21 is spaced from flange 19 a distance slightly greater than the length of skirt 12, the inwardly rolled head 13 on the lid and the inwardly directed annular bead 21 will normally be spaced axially from one another slightly, as best seen in FIG. 7, when the closure is installed.

To remove the closure from a sealed container, the ring 10 is rotated in a direction to unscrew the ring from the threads on finish 2. The initial rotation of ring 10, tending to cause relative axial movement between the ring and the neck 1 of the container, is resisted by the frangible pilfer-proof ring 23 bearing on shoulder 7. Continued rotation of ring will cause ring '23 to be broken from the ring along the line of serrations 25. However, since beads 13 and 21 are spaced from one another, there is no tendency to lift the lid 9 from sealing surface 3 until after ring 123' is severed, thereby assuring a positive seal so long as the line of serrations are unbroken. Further rotation of ring 10 will bring bead 21 into engagement with head 13 to lift lid 9 from the container, employing the mechanical advantage of the screw threads to break the seal and lift the lid. Thus, it is seen that the opening operation is accomplished in steps with the initial frictional resistance to rotation of ring 10 being first overcome to loosen the ring on the finish. Next, the frangible pilfer-proof ring is broken and, finally, the lid is lifted from the sealing surface of the container. This step-by-step opening operation naturally reduces the torque required to open the container.

To employ applicants improved closure to hermetically seal a filled container, the containers are filled in the usual manner. The lid portion is then installed on the open top of the glass container with the resilient gasket 15 forming an initial seal with the sealing surface 3 on the container. The full container with the lid positioned thereon then proceeds through a washing station where any spilled product is thoroughly rinsed from the external surface of the container. During the washing operation the lid may be retained on the sealing surface by any suitable means such as a movable belt applying a vertical pressure to the upper surface of the lid or, preferably, the sealing finish 10 on the container may be designed to resiliently retain the lid by frictional engagement with the resilient gasket, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. After the washing operation, the lifting and retaining ring is telescoped over the lid to seat flange 19 on the peripheral surface of panel 11 and the ring is roll formed onto the threaded finish of the container in the conventional manner, simultaneously positioning the bead 21 beneath the head 13 on the skirt 12 of the lid.

From the above, it can be seen that I have provided a hermetically sealed threaded container employing a twopiece closure which can readily be reused to reseal the container and which avoids the undesirable conditions instant to products spillage during packaging. Further, I have provided a two-piece closure in which the retaining ring also acts as a lifting ring to break the seal between the container and the lid portion without damaging or deforming the lid, utilizing the mechanical advantage of the screw thread between the lifting ring and the glass finish to facilitate removal of the lid.

While I have described and illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, 1 wish it understood that I do not intend to be limited solely thereto, but that I do intend to cover all embodiments thereof which would be apparent to one skilled in the art and which come within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A hermetically sealed package comprising, in combination, a container having a neck portion of circular cross section with a screw thread formed on the external surface thereof, a sealing surface adjacent the open end of said neck, a lid including a generally disc-shaped end panel having a depending annular skirt integrally formed around its periphery, said skirt terminating in an inwardly turned head, a sealing gasket in said lid adjacent said skirt in position to engage and form a hermetic seal with said sealing surface, and a retaining and lifting ring having an annular body portion roll formed onto said external screw threads and terminating at one end in an inwardly directed flange overlying a portion of said end panel adjacent the outer periphery thereof, and an inwardly directed annular bead formed around said body portion and extending beneath said head on said skirt in position to engage said head on said skirt to lift said lid from said container upon unscrewing said ring from said neck.

2. The hermetically sealed package as defined in claim 1 wherein said bead on said body portion is spaced axially from the head on said skirt when said lid and ring are installed on said neck to permit limited rotation of said ring in a direction to remove said ring before lifting said lid.

3. The hermetically sealed package as defined in claim 1 wherein said retaining and lifting ring includes frangible pilfer-proof means integrally formed on the bottom of said retaining and lifting ring, said pilfer-proof means including a flange roll formed into engagement with a shoulder on said container neck to prevent axial movement thereof with respect to said neck, whereby unscrewing said retaining and lifting ring from said neck will break said pilfer-p-roof means from said ring.

4. The hermetically sealed package as defined in claim 3 wherein the head 'on said body portion is spaced axially from the head on said skirt a distance sufficient tov permit limited rotation of said retaining and lifting ring in a direction to remove said retaining and lifting ring from said neck to break said pilfer-proof means therefrom before lifting said lid from said sealing surface-of said neck.

5. The hermetically sealed package as defined in claim 1 wherein said sealing surface on said neck comprises an annular bead formed on the outer circumference of said neck adjacent the open end thereof, said sealing gasket having an inner surface dimensioned and positioned to be telesc'opin-gly received over said sealing surface to form a hermetic seal therewith.

6. A two-piece roll on closure for hermetically sealing a threaded glass container comprising a lid having a gen erally disc-shaped end panel with 2. depending skirt integrally formed around its periphery, said skirt having its depending end rolled inwardly to form a bead, a sealing gasket in said lid adjacent said skirt in position to engage and form a hermetic seal with a sealing surface on the finish of said container, and an annular retaining and lifting ring having a circular cross-section of diameter greater than the diameter of said lid throughout a major portion of its length, an inwardly directed annular flange formed on one end of said ring for overlying the peripheral edges of said lid when said lid and ring are'installed on a container, an inwardly directed annular bead formed around said ring and spaced from said flange a distance at least as great as the length of said skirt, the diameter of said annular bead being great enough to pass over said lid to position said flange in engagement with the peripheral portion of said end panel, said ring being formed from a material suitable for roll forming whereby said lid may be installed upon a container in sealing engagement therewith and said ring subsequently installed over said lid and roll formed onto the threaded neck of a container to retain said lid on said container and to extend said annular bead beneath the skirt on said lid to lift said lid upon removal of said ring from said container.

7. The two-piece closure defined in claim 6 wherein said bead on said retaining and lifting ring is spaced axially from said flange a distance greater than the length of said skirt when the closure is installed on a container to permit limited unscrewing of said retaining and lifting ring before lifting said lid.

8. The two-piece closure defined in claim 6 wherein said retaining and lifting ring includes a frangible pilferproof ring integrally formed on the end thereof opposite said flange in position to be roll-formed into engagement with a ledge on the container neck, whereby unscrewing said retaining and lifting ring from the container will break said pilfer-proof ring from said retaining and lifting ring.

9. The two-piece, closure defined in claim 8 wherein said bead on said retaining and lifting ring is spaced axially from said flange a distance greater than the length of said skirt when said closure is installed on a container to permit limited unscrewing of said retaining and lifting ring before lifting said ring, whereby said pilfer-pro-of ring will be broken from said retaining and lifting ring before the seal between the lid and the container is broken.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,632,086 6/1927 Lee 205-43 1,942,810 1/1934 Gibbs 21597 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HERMETICALLY SEALED PACKAGE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER HAVING A NECK PORTION OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION WITH A SCREW THREAD FORMED ON THE EXTERNAL SURFACE THEREOF, A SEALING SURFACE ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF SAID NECK, A LID INCLUDING A GENERALLY DISC-SHAPED END PANEL HAVING A DEPENDING ANNULAR SKIRT INTEGRALLY FORMED AROUND ITS PERIPHERY, SAID SKIRT TERMINATING IN AN INWARDLY TURNED BEAD, A SEALING GASKET IN SAID LID ADJACENT SAID SKIRT IN POSITION TO ENGAGE AND FORM A HERMETIC SEAL WITH SAID SEALING SURFACE, AND A RETAINING AND LIFTING RING HAVING AN ANNULAR BODY PORTION ROLL FORMED ONTO SAID EXTERNAL SCREW THREADS AND TERMINATING AT ONE END IN AN INWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE OVERLYING A PORTION OF SAID END PANEL ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERY THEREOF, AND AN INWARDLY DIRECTED ANNULAR BEAD FORMED AROUND SAID BODY PORTION AND EXTENDING BENEATH SAID BEAD ON SAID SKIRT IN POSITION TO ENGAGE SAID BEAD ON SAID SKIRT TO LIFT SAID LID FROM SAID CONTAINER UPON UNSCREWING SAID RING FROM SAID NECK. 